"Wait, so in the blink of an eye, we're already back?" Fu Shi stared at the familiar St. Freya Academy before her, along with the omnipresent Honkai energy, then couldn't help but turn to look at Fu Lin beside her, her face full of surprise.
"Mm, that should be right. This world, this universe, was something I spent ten thousand years recreating one-to-one, then personally inlaying onto the Imaginary Tree. Coming back is just a matter of a single thought."
Fu Lin nodded in response. But when his gaze swept over Anna and Chen Tianwu walking toward them together, his pupils suddenly contracted, and a look like he'd seen a ghost instantly appeared on his face.
"...But something seems a bit off?"
Fu Shi blinked as well, following his line of sight. The next second, she sucked in a sharp breath, her voice rising several pitches, "This is obviously very off, okay?! We didn't accidentally stumble into another parallel world, did we? How could Chen Tianwu and Anna be at St. Freya Academy?!"
Just as the two of them were feeling shocked and uncertain, they saw Anna holding two bags of freshly baked French bread, tilting her head as she talked to Chen Tianwu. Her eyes curved into crescents, a smile lingering at the corner of her lips.
Chen Tianwu, meanwhile, was carrying three or four branded shopping bags. Hearing her words, he shook his head helplessly, then reached out to smooth down the strands of hair that the wind had blown out of place, his movements natural and intimate.
That scene nearly made Fu Shi and Fu Lin's eyes pop out of their sockets.
"I'm not seeing things, right?" Fu Shi tugged on Fu Lin's sleeve. "Why are those two here, and why does it look like they're dating?!"
Fu Lin stared at their retreating figures, unconsciously rubbing his chin. "Maybe Theresa learned about the future and changed the outcome ahead of time?"
Before he could finish speaking, a burst of crisp laughter rang out.
The two followed the sound and saw Kiana holding up a strawberry-flavored ice cream to Mei, shouting as she did so, "Mei, try this one! It's strawberry flavor!"
Mei lowered her head helplessly yet indulgently and took a lick. Kiana immediately asked impatiently, "Well? How is it, how is it?"
Mei savored the sweet feeling lingering on her tongue, a faint smile spreading across her lips as she replied softly, "Mm, it's very sweet."
Fu Shi narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling on Kiana's hair. "That's Kiana... but what's with that purple streak in her hair?"
Fu Lin's eyes darkened slightly as his fingers again unconsciously rubbed his chin, murmuring in a low voice, "Maybe it's Sirin's final bit of stubbornness in this world, kind of like that eye-catching tuft of white hair Durandal got after inheriting the Kaslana stigmata."
But immediately after that, an even more jaw-dropping scene appeared.
In a flowerbed not far away, Otto suddenly poked his head out from among the blooming flowers, holding a pair of gardening shears and leisurely trimming the branches.
"Kal, len～ Kal, len～ Kal, len～"
There was a relaxed, self-satisfied look on his face as he hummed a little tune, as if fully immersed in the joys of gardening, all past schemes and power struggles tossed far behind him.
In the blink of an eye, Rita appeared behind Otto as if she had flashed in, bowing slightly as she asked gently, "Lord Otto, would you like me to brew you a pot of black tea?"
Otto raised a hand to wipe the light sheen of sweat from his forehead, nodded slightly, and said in a relaxed tone with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, "Much obliged, Rita."
Fu Shi's mouth twitched as she pointed at Otto and turned to look at Fu Lin, looking on the verge of collapse, "That's Otto?! How did he end up being a gardener at St. Freya Academy?!"
Fu Lin was just as bewildered. After a long pause, he finally squeezed out a sentence, "Maybe... Otto retired and came to St. Freya Academy to experience life?"
At that moment, Kiana and Mei seemed to notice them. When they saw Fu Lin and Fu Shi, they froze for a moment, then broke into excited smiles, "Fu Lin? Fu Shi? You're back! The class monitor's been worried about you this whole time. Why didn't the others come back?"
Fu Lin and Fu Shi exchanged a glance. Fu Shi was the first to step in and smooth things over, explaining, "Ah... them? They still have some things to take care of, so the two of us came back first!"
Kiana immediately pulled out her phone, saying excitedly, "Oh, I see! I'll contact the class monitor right now! While you were gone, she was talking about Fu Shi every single day."
Hearing that, the tips of Fu Shi's ears instantly flushed red. She quickly turned her head away and said a bit awkwardly, "I-is that so?"
Not far away, Otto also noticed the commotion. His highly recognizable voice, one that made people want to clench their fists just from hearing it, rang out, "You two? Why not come over for a cup of black tea before we continue chatting? Rita's black tea, with honey, has quite a nice flavor."
Fu Shi whipped her head around, meeting Otto's smiling eyes, and instantly bristled like she'd seen some nightmare come to life, "Get lost!"
"My friend, I'm just an ordinary gardener now. There's no need to look at me as if you've seen a ghost. I'm very friendly."
Otto set down the gardening shears, brushing the flower petals from his shoulder, his tone still leisurely.
Rita had already walked over carrying a tea tray. In the delicate teacups was amber-colored tea, thoughtfully accompanied by two pieces of caramel biscuits.
Several of them sat down at the stone table beside the flowerbed. Kiana simply dragged Mei over as well, eating her ice cream as she asked curiously, "Fu Lin, where did you go for so long? I thought you wouldn't be able to come back!"
Fu Lin lightly rubbed the rim of his teacup with his fingertips and spoke calmly, "Mm, there was a bit of an accident on the way back. We went to Kiana☆'s world and stayed there for a while."
Kiana nodded, picked up a caramel biscuit and stuffed it into her mouth. With a crunch as she bit it, she said indistinctly, "I see～"
A moment later, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded.
Everyone looked over and saw Fu Hua striding toward them, with Cheng Lixue close behind, calling out despite herself, "Master, slow down!"
Fu Hua walked straight up to them, gently cupped Fu Shi's face in both hands, squeezing and pinching it, her brows knitting slightly, "You've lost weight. Didn't Fu Lin take good care of you?"
Fu Lin froze on the spot, his face full of astonishment, his mind screaming internally, 'No, wait! I'm not taking the blame for this!'
Fu Shi, unable to move with her face held like that, blushed in both embarrassment and agitation. She puffed out her cheeks and protested, "You old antique... everyone's watching, let go already!"
Cheng Lixue stepped closer at this time and said with a smile, "Fu Shi, Master was just worried about you. She's been talking about you this whole time. When she heard you were back, she rushed over immediately."
The tips of Fu Shi's ears turned red again as she turned her head away awkwardly, "I know that already. You don't need to tell me."
Otto lifted his teacup and took a sip, speaking slowly, "The Celestial Immortal truly does dote on Fu Shi. I'm sitting right here as an old friend, yet I didn't even get a greeting."
Fu Shi immediately glared at him, "Is 'Fu Shi' something you're allowed to call me?! And stop trying to steal the spotlight, you're asking for a beating!"
Otto chuckled softly and set down his teacup, "I was merely making an observation."
Fu Hua released her hands at this time and gently rubbed Fu Shi's head, her tone softening, "Come over to my place tonight. Whatever you want to eat, I'll make it for you."
Fu Shi's ears were still red, but her words were stiff, "Hmph, as long as it's not Spring Pickles."
Kiana immediately raised her hand, "Class monitor, class monitor! I want to go too! I want to eat!"
Mei helplessly tugged on her arm, "Don't make trouble. The class monitor is making it specially for Fu Shi."
"Aiya, Mei, you should come too. The more people, the livelier～" Kiana shook Mei's wrist as she acted spoiled, drawing laughter from everyone.
But, as expected, when nothing goes wrong, something is bound to go wrong.